Refrigerator



March 13, 1928.

F. T. RODG ERS REFRIGERATOR Filed July 24. 1 926 mm a Vf r/w E a, w WI H@www Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

NUNITED STATES FAY T. RODGERS, F MEMPHISLTENNESSEE.

REFRIGERATOR.

Application led July 24, 1926. Serial No. 124,648.

This invention has general reference to refrigerators that have icecontainers placed in either or both ends thereof, but relates moreparticularly to a special construction and arrangement of the drip panor pans disposed beneath such containers. Also, it has reference to thedrain pipe leading from aplurality of ice containers arranged one aboveanother, such as are shown in the United States Letters Patentheretofore issued to me, No. 1,567,082, dated December 29, 1925.

In refrigerators, it is extremely importantthat advantage be taken of asmuch as possible of the cooling action of tbe cooling medium employed,which usually is ice, and that, in furtherance of this purpose, as muchas possible of the cooling value of the Water formed from the melted icebe conserved and taken advantage of. Heretofore, in an effort toaccomplish this desirable object, use has been made of a. complicatedsystem of pipes and pans, Whereas, by the present invention, the desiredresult is secured by simple and inexpensive means, and with a maximum ofefficiency.

The principal objects of this invention are First, to provide meanswhereby a large 30 surface area of the drip Water is exposed to the airin the refrigerator;

Second, to provide means for retarding the run-off or Waste flow of thedrip Water, in order to take the greatest possible adr vantage of thecooling value thereof;

Third, to obviate storage of the drip water in what may be termed thefood section of the refrigerator; and

Fourth, to simplify and im rove the construction and arrangement ofP thedrip pan or pans.

The means by which I accomplish the foregoing and other objects of myinvention, and the manner of their accomplishment, readily Will beunderstood from the following description on reference to theaccompanying drawings, in Which- Fig. 1 is a pers ective vieW, insectional elevation, of a re .rigerator embodying my improvements, thefront part of the case being cut away substantially along the line 1--1of Fig. 2, and a lurality of containers and their supports being shownin place in one end of the case, while only the drip pan is shown in theother` end.

`18 is formed, preferably Fig. 2 is a` sectional plan of the innerlining of the refrigerator, taken substantially on line lI--II of Fig.3, showing the drip pans and the drains therefrom.

Fig. 3 is afragmcntary sectional elevation, taken subst-antiallyv on theline III- III ofFig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 10 is the exterior case of therefrigerator; 11 is a Water-tight lining, of metal or other suitablematerial, forming the interior of the case; the numerals 12 refer torefrigerant containers, one or more of Which`may be used at either endof the case; the parts indicated by 13 are drip valves, each of whichdischarges into a joint drip pipe 14, said pipe preferably beingremovably 'supported by a hook l5, from which it may be disconnected topermit unitary removal of thc refrigerant containers. One such drip pipeis used for each bank of containers, and said pipe or pipes dischargeinto a. drip pan below the containers, said pan being formed bypartitioning off a portion of the bottom of the inner lining of thecase, b means of a cross member or plate 16, Whic extends from the frontof the lining to its back, and is connected by a Water-tight joint, asby soldering, With the bottom, front and back of said lining. Adepression 17 is formed in the cross member 16, and from said depressiona channel-Way 1 8 constitutes a drain to a drip pipe 19, Which may beprovided with a cup-shaped cover 20, having notches 21 in thelower edgethereof, to permit water to pass to the drip pipe.

The piece from which the channel-Way constitutes only one side and thebottom thereof, said bottom being joined to the back Wall of the liningof the case, as by solder, and one end of the channel side and bottombeing similarly connected with the cross member 16, at the point Wherethe depression 17 occurs. A Wedge-shaped member 22, placed beneath thechannel-Way 18, gives the latter the proper inclination for drainage.

i Should it be desired to increase the length of flow of the Water inthe drip ans, a division plate or partition 23 may e disposed diagonallyacross one or more of the pans, being secured in place in the samemanner as the member 16 It will of course be understood that thedrawings herein are for purposes of illustration only, and that I do notWish to be limited to he {censtnncti'i shown, except :as it may "bespecified hereinafter Zin the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a refrigerator, a plurality of individual refrigerant containers,a .cammen drip pipe therefrom, means connecting each of said containersWith said d1iip'pi1pe,said pipe being removable independently of .said`containers and said containers being indi- TV-idu'ailly Kren'iovableirem vthe refrigerator, ,and n. drip v-pa'n into IWillich said pipedischarges.

"Q In la refrigerator, a :phn'ality off refrigerant containers, au-i'ndependently-removable drip pipe into which each oii said containersdischarges, and a non-removable drip gpan.,permanent@T secured tot'herefrigerator, into nihidh the drip v`from said pipe is deyliver-ed.

:lin sa refrigerator, a plurality of refrigerant containers, and anindependently renioaiuble drip pipe into which each 0i said containersdischarges.

2l. Ina refrigerator, a plurality of refrigerant containers, eachindependently remov- :aible "i10in`-said rediriger-alor. and anindependently removalile dri-p pipe inio which 4each of 4said containersdischarges.

signature.

